Strategic Choices

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Our associated firm has gained an enviable reputation for helping organisations tackle strategic choices;
those decisions that are fundamentally important to the organisation and its future, such as selecting a strategic
supplier, or the site for new manufacturing operation.
Due to the importance of these decisions it is not surprising that tensions and emotions can run high and a
significant amount of time and resources can be expended in reaching a decision.
They also tend to be characterized by differences in perspective, uncertainty, and multiple objectives.
Our robust, transparent, academically sound decision making process has proven to significantly reduce the time it
takes to reach a decision, while ensuring the stakeholders are given the confidence that the right conclusion has
been reached.
Clients value our capability to firstly structure the problem and secondly facilitate a group discussion that
captures the collective thoughts and wisdom of the stakeholders.
In capturing these we use the academically sound approach of MCDA (Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis) to help
effectively assess the risk-adjusted benefits of one option against another.
Our transparent, inclusive decision making process, Decision Conferencing, allows all aspects of the decision
and different viewpoints to be considered. As an outcome this leads to a shared understanding, a sense of common
purpose, and a renewed commitment to the way forward.
Decision Conferencing is a proven method of achieving more effective decisions. The process involves groups of
people in a transparent decision-making process and is ideally suited to resolving complex issues fast.
These complex issues tend to have common characteristics such as conflicting objectives, multiple attributes,
uncertain consequences, and the need for input and agreement from various people to solve.
All parties involved in the decision making process are gathered together in a series of workshops where options
and issues are identified and discussed. These discussions are typically aided by modelling the problem, a process
that documents the discussions and allows the best value options to be identified and different scenarios to be
analysed.
Decision Conferencing is best run by an independent facilitator and analyst, whose job it is to direct the group
through the process and ensure results are achieved. This is where Knowledge and Capital comes in; the group own
the problem and issues, and formulate their solution. Knowledge and Capital simply provides the means and the
model to achieve the goal.

Engagement

Decision Conferencing is naturally an inclusive process; one of the responsibilities of the facilitator
is to ensure everyone s views are discussed and understood. The group develop a shared understanding and a
shared sense of ownership for the decision reached, this helps ensure the decisions made are adopted.
Reach a decision fast
Unlike other approaches, such as hiring traditional management consultants, Decision Conferencing uses the vision,
knowledge and experience of the people making the decision. This and other underlying business data are usually
readily available, therefore a conclusion can typically be reached in a few one-day workshops.